Romaine Lettuce Sold at Walmart Recalled Over E. Coli

The produce was carried at more than 1,100 stores in 22 states

E.Coli in a petri dish with romaine lettuce in the background.

Getty Images

By:

Aaron Kassraie,

AARP

En español

Published November 11, 2020

Editor’s Note: This article, originally published Nov. 10, 2020, has been updated to reflect the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigation.

Over 3,000 cartons of romaine lettuce heads distributed by Tanimura & Antle Inc., of Salinas, California, have been voluntarily recalled because of possible contamination with E. coli, a bacteria that can cause serious health complications in older adults. The produce was shipped by the distributor to 19 states and Puerto Rico and sold at more than 1,100 Walmart stores.

Packages contain a single head of romaine with the UPC number 0-27918-20314-9 and labeled with a “packed on date” of 10/15/2020 or 10/16/2020. The recall was made after a random sample was analyzed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as part of its routine sampling program.

According to Tanimura & Antle Inc., 3,396 cartons were distributed to Alaska, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

However, Walmart's list of stores that sold the product include 1,118 locations in 22 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. There are about 4,753 Walmart stores in the U.S.

bag of tanimura and antle romaine lettuce

Tanimura & Antle lettuce is being recalled in numerous states due to E. coli risk.

FDA

"At Tanimura & Antle, food safety is a number one priority and the company prides itself on its preventative measures. It is unlikely that this product remains at retail establishments due to the shelf life of lettuce and the number of days that have passed,” the company said.

The company asks consumers who purchased the affected romaine to throw it away and not eat it. Consumers with questions or concerns can call the Tanimura & Antle Consumer Hotline at 877-827-7388, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT.

CDC investigating outbreak of E. coli infections

Although there have been no reports of infections directly associated with the contaminated lettuce, the CDC is investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli infections linked to the same strain found on the recalled product, 0157:H7.

Twelve people in six states reported infections, with illnesses beginning between Sept. 2 and Oct. 14. The sick ranged in ages range from 8 to 62. Of the 11 people interviewed, five were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Cases were recorded in California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

All who were interviewed said they ate various types of leafy greens, including romaine lettuce, spinach, iceberg lettuce, and red leaf lettuce. But the CDC said that there is not enough epidemiologic and traceback information available to determine if they got sick from eating Tanimura & Antle romaine lettuce.

E. coli can be dangerous to older adults

The specific strain of E. coli tied to this recall, 0157:H7, can cause a diarrheal illness with bloody stool. Symptoms can begin one to 10 days after exposure.

While most healthy adults can recover within a week, older adults and young children can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). This condition can lead to serious kidney damage and death.

According to the CDC, symptoms of developing HUS include decreased frequency of urination, feeling tired and losing color in the cheeks and inside lower eyelids. Contact your doctor if you have diarrhea that lasts for more than three days or if it is accompanied by a fever higher than 102 degrees, blood in the stool, vomiting that prevents liquids from staying down or little urine being passed.

Aaron Kassraie writes about issues important to military veterans and their families for AARP. He also serves as a general assignment reporter. Kassraie previously covered U.S. foreign policy as a correspondent for the Kuwait News Agency’s Washington bureau and worked in news gathering for USA Today and Al Jazeera English.

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